Normal cognitive processes can still generate morally unacceptable prejudice

Evidence

Allport (1954/1979) argued that prejudice can be entirely normal. He also recognized that prejudice can be irrational. But his contentions in chapter 2 (“The Normality of Prejudgment”) effectively undermined the intuitive view that prejudice is solely the product of sick motives and anticipated psychology’s cognitive revolution by analyzing prejudice as a product of normal categorization processes, merely applied to people. — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 282 (#expands, via linked claim)

The view that prejudice is “normal” creates a seeming contradiction – according to popular belief, a “prejudice” is something that breaks social norms; prejudice is deviant. In fact, Allport seemed to concur with this assessment by defining prejudice as an irrational, negative reaction to others based on their group membership. But according to our perspective, prejudice is a social norm. Sometimes this disconnect between viewing prejudice as normative versus deviant occurs as a result of changes in norms over time, creating different segments of society that disagree about what is acceptable. Although most Americans today would see slavery as a violation of decency and tolerance norms, slave owners in the antebellum American South did not think that their attitude toward enslaved Black was prejudiced; it was the common, accepted, prevalent attitude (Jordan, 1977). — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 1901 (#complicates, via linked claim)

Prejudice is a multifaceted construct that includes not only cognitive but emotional and behavioral processes that are becoming more prominent in research (see Smith & Mackie, ch. 22 this volume). The role of affect has been acknowledged, but rarely studied. Presumably many different emotions come into play when experiencing prejudice, yet we have no widely accepted measures for these. Emotions are more salient and may predict behavior better than cognitions. — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 2030 (#complicates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Cognitive biases are an inherited feature of all human brains, not curable — Lee McIntyre, Post-Truth, 115; Categorization that grounds prejudice is normal and unavoidable mental functioning.; Role-incongruity prejudice is rational yet still unfair in how it is applied. (+7 more)

Broader Connections

• Prejudice arises from normal cognition, not abnormal pathology #expands (0.95) — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 282
• Allport misclassified normative prejudice as deviant irrationality #complicates (0.78) — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 1901
• Emotions may predict prejudiced behavior better than cognitions do #complicates (0.72) — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 2030